Bai Jintong had been exhausted these past few days, arranging and planning what to do for future trade. She slept for two hours before waking up.

Learning that her elder sister and second sister had already gone to the mourning hall, she hurriedly got up, ate a few bites of snacks, put on her mourning clothes and went out.

Bai Jintong hurried along the corridor decorated with white silk and plain cloth toward the mourning hall. From afar, she spotted Nanny Jiang from her grandmother’s side, followed by a servant woman from the outer courtyard. Both had grave expressions and hurried steps as they walked toward Changshou Courtyard.

She felt somewhat puzzled, and as soon as she reached the mourning hall, she told Bai Qingyan and the others about this.

“Could something have happened at grandmother’s place?” Bai Jinzhi opened her round eyes wide, quite worried.

“This morning I heard my mother say that grandmother mentioned tomorrow’s funeral couldn’t proceed without someone to break the mourning bowl, so she wanted to bring that illegitimate son back. It’s probably about that illegitimate son!” Bai Jinxiu said.

Before the sisters could say more, other visitors came to pay their respects. Bai Qingyan and her group followed suit in kowtowing and returning the courtesies.

With news of Duke’s funeral tomorrow spreading, more and more people came to pay their respects, making it even more impossible for them to get away.

In Changshou Courtyard.

Grand Princess sat leaning against five soft pillows with Western lotus patterns, listening to the trembling servant woman kneeling on the ground finish recounting what happened at the estate. Her hand wrapped around prayer beads suddenly gripped the edge of the black lacquered table beside her, her eyes widening in disbelief as she raised her voice: “You said… what did that wretch do?!”

The servant woman was startled by Grand Princess’s aura, hastily kowtowing heavily while stammering: “Young Master, he… he insisted this morning that the Ji family’s new bride serve him breakfast, and later… later somehow, the Ji family’s new bride killed herself by striking her head in the room. Young Master was injured on his face and in his rage, he… he cut that Ji family’s new bride into several pieces, ordering… ordering people to throw her out to feed the dogs. But that new bride was a free citizen…”

“Wretch!” Grand Princess slammed her palm on the black lacquered small table.

Insisting that someone’s new bride serve him, driving the new bride to kill herself by striking her head—what else could it be for?!

Grand Princess was so angry that her hands were shaking. Suppressing the surging fury in her heart, she asked: “How many people know about that wretch ordering the new bride to serve him?”

The servant woman nodded: “This old servant has already inquired thoroughly. Everyone at the estate knows about Young Master wanting the Ji family’s new bride to serve him. On the seventh day, when Nanny sent people to escort Young Master to the estate, Young Master saw that the Ji family’s new bride was beautiful from the carriage and immediately said he wanted her to serve him. When the new bride was unwilling, Young Master threw quite a tantrum. The people at the estate, fearing Young Master’s anger would implicate them, many went to persuade the Ji family’s new bride. This morning the estate manager’s wife, along with several women at the estate who were close to the Ji family’s new bride, went to persuade her again… saying Young Master was leaving soon, asking the Ji family’s new bride to serve breakfast would also benefit her husband’s prospects at Duke Mansion. Only then did the Ji family’s new bride go! Who would have thought she would actually… die there!”

Nanny Jiang stepped forward to gently stroke Grand Princess’s back, saying: “The estate manager has already tied up and detained everyone who knew about this new bride’s death. He sent the two women who came to fetch the young master back to report this matter, awaiting Grand Princess’s decision.”

“How can this beast be so vicious?!” Grand Princess was so angry her chest heaved violently. In her fury, her heart grew even colder. Second Son’s illegitimate child… had actually been taught to have such cruel ways.

If not for the fact that this illegitimate son might be Duke Mansion’s last male heir, she truly wouldn’t want to keep such a wretch, worse than a beast.

Nanny Jiang signaled for the kneeling woman to leave. After watching the woman kowtow and exit, Nanny Jiang frowned and said, “Grand Princess, there’s something even more troublesome! The new bride who died… was Ji Tingyu’s wife, whom he married just before New Year!”

Grand Princess felt her heart attacked by urgent fire. She grabbed Nanny Jiang’s wrist, desperately lowering her voice: “Ji Tingyu?! That Ji Tingyu, who risked his life to deliver the military records to Duke Mansion just a few days ago?!”

“Exactly that Ji Tingyu! It’s all this old servant’s fault… actually arranging people at that estate! If Miss finds out about this, what can we do?!” Nanny Jiang held Grand Princess’s hand, seeing all color drain from Grand Princess’s face in an instant, her hand holding the prayer beads trembling directly. She quickly stroked Grand Princess’s hand gently: “Grand Princess, don’t be anxious first…”

It wouldn’t matter if a free citizen died, it wouldn’t matter if it was a new bride, but it had to be Ji Tingyu’s new bride! With his wife defiled and dead, any man with backbone wouldn’t just endure this.

This Ji Tingyu, who could sacrifice his life and forget death for the Bai Family, didn’t he have some backbone in his heart?

If Miss finds out about this matter, there would likely be an earth-shattering uproar. That illegitimate son… would he still have a life to live?!

Grand Princess slowly released Nanny Jiang’s hand. Her straight, upright spine gradually hunched as she closed her eyes and leaned against the soft couch, her fingertips ice-cold.

Though she held high hopes for the child in Fifth Daughter-in-law’s belly, Grand Princess had privately consulted Imperial Physician Huang from the Imperial Medical Academy. Imperial Physician Huang spoke conservatively… only saying it was most likely a female fetus.

If that were true, this illegitimate son… was Bai Weiting’s last bloodline.

She had felt guilty toward the Bai Family and Bai Weiting her entire life. She truly wanted to help him preserve that little bit of bloodline. Otherwise, after Bai Qingyan’s generation, Bai Weiting… would have no incense offerings.

This matter had just happened. While it hadn’t yet caused an uproar, if she wanted to cover it up… she needed to make a quick decision.

Everyone at the estate knew about this beast wanting the Ji family’s new bride to serve him. Even if they silenced everyone who knew the Ji family’s new bride was dead, if they brought this beast back today and the Ji family’s new bride suddenly disappeared without a trace, who could guarantee that when Ji Tingyu returned, others wouldn’t gossip?

If Ji Tingyu came to Duke Mansion demanding his wife, then it would certainly alarm her eldest granddaughter. With A’Bao’s capabilities, this matter definitely couldn’t be hidden.

But at the foot of the imperial city, they couldn’t possibly silence hundreds of people at the estate. When Ji Tingyu returned, wouldn’t he become suspicious?

Thinking of Ji Tingyu, Grand Princess’s hand gripping the prayer beads suddenly tightened.

Rather than killing a hundred people to hide this matter, it would be better to kill one person to remove the fire from under the cauldron. As long as Ji Tingyu died and never came to Duke Mansion demanding his wife, they could let the people at the estate think the Ji family’s new bride had followed Ji Tingyu to Duke Mansion to serve him!

As long as she could hide this from A’Bao, Grand Princess could suppress everyone else… with authority.

With such severe injuries, if Ji Tingyu couldn’t be saved… it wouldn’t be surprising either.

Killing people—Grand Princess, having grown up in the palace since childhood, had done this before. But killing someone who had shown kindness to the Bai Family, being so heartless and repaying kindness with enmity—how could her conscience be at peace?

Tears seeped from the corners of Grand Princess’s eyes, but that wretch was still her grandson! Enough of her grandsons had died! Truly… no more could die!

She had to preserve a bloodline for Bai Weiting, even if after death the King of Hell made her endure mountains of knives and cauldrons of oil to apologize to loyal and brave men like Ji Tingyu—she would accept it!